TxDOT Harnesses IoE Capabilities to Improve Communication and Reduce Accident Levels

Transcription

1 TxDOT Harnesses IoE Capabilities to Improve Communication and Reduce Accident Levels EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Objectives Proactively communicate I-35 construction issues and traffic-flow status to general public Strategy Implement intensive, multilayered communications campaign to alert drivers and long-haul truckers about I-35 construction and specific closures Solutions Mobility coordinators assist in overseeing different contractors involved in project Cameras and monitoring stations track traffic flow Automated communications system provides construction updates to contractors Incident Alert System mitigates impact of unplanned roadway closures End-of-Queue Warning Systems enhances worker and driver safety Public announcements through my35.org, , and Twitter blasts keep public informed Impact 80 percent of survey respondents have found My35 s useful 83 percent think the dynamic message signs are useful/helpful Improved project coordination across various sections and contractors Reduced accident levels in planned mainline closures Background In January 2014, Cisco released the results of an in-depth analysis of the economic benefits of the Internet of Everything (IoE) for the public sector. Cisco s model revealed that some $4.6 trillion in Value at Stake would result from the adoption of IoE capabilities across 40 key public sector use cases over the next 10 years, including smart water, smart buildings, smart energy, smart parking, and more ( As a next phase of its analysis, Cisco engaged Cicero Group, a leading datadriven strategy consulting and research firm, to undertake a global study of IoE capabilities across these 40 use cases how the best public sector organizations are connecting the unconnected, as Cisco terms it. To that end, Cicero Group conducted interviews with dozens of leading public sector jurisdictions federal, state, and local governments; healthcare organizations; educational institutions; and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to explore how these global leaders are leveraging IoE today. The research examined real-world projects that are operational today, are being delivered at scale (or through pilots with obvious potential to scale), and that represent the cutting edge of public sector IoE readiness and maturity. The aim of the research was to understand what has changed in terms of the jurisdictions people, processes, data, and things, and how other public sector organizations can learn from (and replicate) the trail blazed by these global IoE leaders. In many cases, these jurisdictions are Cisco customers; in others, they are not. The focus of these jurisdictional profiles, therefore, is not to tout Cisco s role in these organizations success, but rather to document IoE excellence, how public sector entities are putting IoE into practice today, and to inform a roadmap for change that will enable the public sector to address pressing challenges on multiple fronts by drawing on best practices from around the globe. Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

2 TxDOT implemented an intensive, multilayered communications campaign to alert drivers and longhaul truckers about the construction and specific closures. Communications platforms include distribution lists, dynamic message signs along the highway, real-time Twitter updates, and my35.org a website with mobile capabilities providing realtime travel information. About TxDOT Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major route for North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) commerce among the United States, Mexico, and Canada. At more than 1,500 miles, it is the third-longest north-south interstate route in the United States. Up to 110,000 vehicles a day travel along I-35 in the state of Texas, 25 to 35 percent of which are long-haul truckers. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) I-35 Corridor project began when officials realized that about 96 miles of the interstate within the Waco District needed to be rebuilt and expanded to accommodate maintenance and growth. When completed, the construction will standardize the road width through this region to a minimum of three lanes in both directions, with continuous frontage roads. It is the largest upgrade of I-35 since its initial construction. The I-35 Integrated Construction Management (ICM) Project covers 80 of the 96 miles of interstate through the Waco District, located between Austin and Forth Worth, Texas. Jodi Wheatley manages all of the public communications for the I-35 construction zone, including public-facing s, Tweets, and telephone inquiries. She receives updates from the various contractors about when various work zones will be active, and updates information for the public accordingly. Objectives TxDOT believed that, given I-35 s criticality and traffic volume, it would be important to communicate construction issues and traffic-flow status to the general public. The agency wanted to be proactive about reaching out to drivers and other interested individuals and entities such as emergency responders, trucking and shipping companies, and others who use or have responsibility for the roadway. Strategy TxDOT implemented an intensive, multilayered communications campaign to alert drivers and long-haul truckers about the construction and specific closures. Communication platforms include distribution lists, dynamic message signs along the highway, real-time Twitter updates, and my35.org a website with mobile capabilities providing real-time travel information. The website also provides traffic-camera views, a map with real-time traffic flow information (received from monitoring stations along the highway), incident alerts, and information about current and upcoming closures. The cost of the overall I-35 project is $1.9 billion, which includes construction and right-of-way acquisition. According to Ms. Wheatley, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which consults on the project, has three separate ITS contracts with TxDOT, including the one with the Waco District for $12.5 million. The other two fold in additional area and research levels. Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

3 TxDOT implemented a series of cameras and monitoring stations to track traffic flow. This data allows TxDOT to estimate drive times and inform drivers about areas of heavy traffic, while also being used to determine construction patterns that will impact drivers the least. Solution Due to the distance involved, and because it encompasses three counties and about 15 cities, the I-35 ICM Project was broken into 12 different programs that necessitated multiple contractors. The overall project s complexity and scope demand constant communication among different contractors, so TxDOT decided to manage it entirely in-house, which had never been attempted for such a large project. Currently, there are 66 miles of active construction, with the last currently funded project expected to finish in An awful lot of it is out of one project, right into the next, said Ms. Wheatley. We realized early on that somebody was going to have to keep an overall view, since changes to one project impact the next one down, and so on until the next thing you know, project five is experiencing unacceptable delays. Mobility Coordinators TxDOT brought on Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) as a project consultant. TTI is an international transportation research institution associated with Texas A&M University, based in College Station, Texas. TTI provides three of what are called mobility coordinators, who synchronize the work of different contractors involved in the project. Mobility coordinators performance is judged by a simple metric: on average, having a 36-minute delay or less at any given time over the entire 80-mile construction area. Each mobility coordinator is responsible for a subset of the 12 total construction projects. Monitoring Stations TxDOT implemented a series of cameras and monitoring stations to track traffic flow. This data allows TxDOT to estimate drive times and inform drivers about areas of heavy traffic, while also being used to determine construction patterns that will impact drivers the least. Forty solar- and battery-powered monitor stations are located along the I-35 corridor. The monitors rely on signals from vehicles that have a Bluetooth device onboard to calculate their speed (and thus the speed of traffic through the zone) based on the time it takes to travel from one monitoring station to the next. Bluetooth signals are unique, making it possible to match instances of a signal from station to station. The same Bluetooth data is also used to perform predictive analytics for example, to estimate the impact of planned lane closures on a certain stretch of I-35. For privacy reasons, TxDOT does not retain any Bluetooth information that is identifiable. Information from the monitors is sent in real time to a central computer via cellular connection for analysis. Outliers and junk data (such as vehicles exiting and reentering the highway, and bicycle traffic) are removed, and the average speed is calculated. Results of the analysis are then pushed to dynamic digital road displays, which show the expected travel times to different exits; and to the my35.org website s dynamic map, which displays current road and traffic conditions. Seventeen of the monitoring stations have Wavetronix units that count and categorize vehicles by type (automobile, long-haul trailer, and so forth) for research Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

4 purposes, and eight of the monitoring stations have cameras that the public can view, also at my35.org. One of the cameras is recording construction on first-instate bridges, and is also used as a traffic camera in a heavy traffic area. Automated Communications to Contractors TxDOT has automated much of the workflow associated with coordinating construction plans and resolving possible conflicts among contractors working sideby-side. To mitigate the impact of unplanned closures, TxDOT has implemented an Incident Alert System. A worker can access the system via his or her mobile phone to quickly and easily input critical details. The information is routed internally so that relevant crews are dispatched to rectify the situation; some details are also made public so that drivers can make route corrections. First, all contractors are required to provide critical documentation on progress, impending lane closures, and other items by or on paper. The details are then uploaded into the automated system. The system prints and sends automated forms such as lane-closure notices, equipment requests, and internal documentation to the relevant parties at the right time. Incident Alert System While the automated contractor information system is useful for managing day-today paperwork and activities, unplanned closures for example, caused by a traffic accident, or by severe weather present problems for drivers and the construction process. To mitigate the impact of unplanned closures, TxDOT has implemented an Incident Alert System. A worker can access the system via his or her mobile phone to quickly and easily input critical details. The information is routed internally so that relevant crews are dispatched to rectify the situation; some details are also made public so that drivers can make route corrections. The system is especially powerful because it is easy for workers to use on-site; if the process were cumbersome, issues would go unreported or reported too late. End-of-Queue Warning System The End-of-Queue Warning System was instituted following a cluster of wrecks during one construction project that resulted in five fatalities over a two-month period. The system was designed to enhance worker and driver safety, as well as driver awareness of upcoming, dangerous conditions around and in the construction zone. The system relies on a combination of radar-enhanced orange-and-white traffic barrels (drums) and temporary rumble strips. First, the radar embedded in the barrels measures traffic speed; data is sent to a central server, which analyzes it and reports travel delays into digital display signs (similar to the monitoring station system). The temporary rumble strips act as speed bumps, and are positioned so that when drivers pass over the strips, the noise and bumpiness alert drivers to look up and immediately see the message signs. Ms. Wheatley explained: If there s no delay, it says roadwork ahead. If it starts recording a delay, it loops through a series of messages based on the situation, from slow traffic two miles ahead, to slow traffic one mile ahead, to stopped traffic two miles ahead. In this way, drivers can prepare specifically for what s coming. The End-of-Queue Warning System is independent from the rest of TxDOT s information gathering and does not feed into its normal system. Some contractors subcontract the equipment and setup, and one has purchased the equipment to Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

5 use in its work zones (monitoring units are independent and can be attached to equipment other than drums). A major feature of the website is the map of current driving conditions. A color spectrum reflects the average traffic flow. By hovering on the map, people can view northbound and southbound average speeds in pop-ups. Public Announcements Informing the public of construction conditions which is carried out through the website my35.org, , text message, and Twitter blasts has been a crucial component to the project from the outset. According to Ms. Wheatley, From TxDOT s standpoint, one of our major concerns about this whole process has been keeping the public informed. Even if they re not using the information yet, a lot of people feel better knowing that it s available if they need it. To begin building an database that would reach the public, Ms. Wheatley invited key stakeholders to sign up to receive s. She reached out to city and county government officials, school districts, chambers of commerce, and first responders. Each agency had its own database of employees and constituents. The idea was that if individuals in each of these agencies signed up for the alerts, they could forward news to many others. It is built to be a network of networks, said Ms. Wheatley. So with one rock, we have a lot of ripples. The TxDOT has designed three different kinds of auto-generated notices, to which the public can subscribe based on specific need and region: 1) daily notices on traffic flow for commuters; 2) seven-day regional outlooks focused on construction plans; and 3) high-impact announcements sent only when all lanes of a section are planned to be closed on one or both sides of I-35. High-impact closures are also announced by press release, on the website, and by text message. s go out between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on their scheduled days, and then the daily version again at 4 p.m. if any last-minute revisions have been reported before the evening commute begins. TxDOT also configured a special traffic alert report for unplanned closures (usually crashes) that is sent by or manually whenever needed. The department continually works to improve each release of information so it is tailored as specifically as possible to every recipient. The my35.org website provides a variety of data on project plans and current information feeds. The website is mobile-friendly, but not strictly a mobile app because TxDOT does not want to encourage unsafe driving behaviors. It is set up to be friendly for cell phones, but it s not really strictly an app at this point. TxDOT may develop an app in the future, once it develops guidelines for which features and information can be provided while ensuring driver safety, Ms. Wheatley explained. A major feature of the website is the map of current driving conditions. A color spectrum reflects the average traffic flow. By hovering on the map, people can view northbound and southbound average speeds in pop-ups. The map also shows the message sign locations and displays, and the website features a trip planner and weather conditions. TxDOT s two regular Twitter feeds, both of which are manually operated, I35travel, which the agency makes available for all public information officers in districts containing a portion of I-35 to use for updates (members of the public often send questions or information in response to the updates, giving a more complete picture of the state of the highway); and the Waco district feed Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

6 TxDOT s safety and communication measures were so effective in reducing accident levels that the agency has begun to implement them along normal roadways where there is no construction. TxDOTWacoPIO ), which Ms. Wheatley updates. Tweets are also automatically generated to the Twitter when the average driving speed for a particular stretch is generating delays of five or more minutes; the information is the same as what drivers see on the automated digital road signage. These Tweets are set to refresh at five-minute intervals for as long as the condition continues. Figure 1. TxDOT: New and Better Connections. Source: Cisco Consulting Services, 2014 Impact Travelers have indicated satisfaction with the information they re receiving from TxDOT. In a survey, 80 percent of respondents indicated that the My35 s were useful; 90 percent said they were easy to understand; and 88 percent said the s contained the right amount of detail. The dynamic message signs were deemed useful/helpful by 83 percent of respondents, with 88 percent saying the signs displayed destinations that were important to them. An unexpected positive impact was that requiring contractors to report lane closures a minimum of 7 days in advance (to facilitate preparation of the construction overview newsletter) has helped TxDOT coordinate the project across the various sections and contractors. Because TxDOT approves closures on a firstcome, first-serve basis, contractors who submitted early found that they were better able to organize their own work and resources. TxDOT s safety and communication measures were so effective in reducing accident levels that the agency has begun to implement them along normal roadways where there is no construction. As a result, the I-35 ICM project has proven a useful testbed for systems that have wider applicability to the state s roadways. Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

7 Finally, the benefits of the data gathering and predictive models will impact projects well into the future, and in areas beyond this segment of the I-35 corridor. The system is transferrable, Ms. Wheatley explained. It can also incorporate information from other sources. The whole idea behind developing the predictive analysis is that it can be applied anywhere. This is a work in progress. We re figuring it out as we go along, and seeing what works and what doesn t work, and what has an effect and what doesn t have an effect. This is all a giant information-gathering process from the standpoint of how we do better in the future. Jodi Wheatley, Spokesperson, TxDOT Lessons Learned / Next Steps According to Ms. Wheatley, the initial challenge of the I-35 ICM Project was starting from scratch to create an information dissemination network. Reaching all drivers has been a challenge. Because the local media was not always cooperative in broadcasting the necessary project information, Ms. Wheatley started an list to get information out, focusing on the most influential entities in the public sector sphere anybody that I could think of that might have had a wide database of people or companies on their own list, she said. A database was created so alerts and information could be automatically updated, and then a self-subscribe function was added for the list. According to Ms. Wheatley, extreme weather in 2014 also generated a lot of word-of-mouth about the closures. The subscription numbers don t reflect accurately how many people know the situation, since many people learn second- or third-hand from subscribers. An ongoing issue that cannot be addressed through a local partner network is that roughly a third of traffic through the area consists of long-haul trucks. Even within the project, news coverage tends to be very local, so people traveling across multiple sections of construction may not receive information about all the closures and alternate routes for their journey. To address this problem, Ms. Wheatley is relying on traditional, low-tech messaging. We re trying to work up funding for a billboard campaign to say, Need information on lane closures? Go to my35.org, she said. The single biggest problem all along has been letting people know there is a way they can get information getting that first piece of information out to them. Ms. Wheatley indicated that the most important consideration during the project has been to collaborate with technological expertise, but to remain customer-conscious in messaging and delivery. The focus for me has been to ask myself, What serves the driver best? Sometimes it goes all the way from how we get them information, to the way things are phrased. The message that goes out needs to be easy, tailored to what they need, and done with them in mind. As for future efforts, TxDOT is collecting and analyzing data from monitoring stations and radar to build predictive models. Agencies in Houston and those working on other segments of interstate construction in Texas are using the I-35 ICM data to work toward predictive models for their own areas and projects. According to Ms. Wheatley, the I-35 ICM Project is not merely a way to discover how to improve this single project, but how to implement the benefits in the future. This is a work in progress. We re figuring it out as we go along, and seeing what works and what doesn t work, and what has an effect and what doesn t have an effect. This is all a giant information-gathering process from the standpoint of how we do better in the future. Page Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

8 More Information For more information, please visit